Global Icon - Kylie Minogue is set to receive a Brits global icon award at this year's ceremony. Taking place on 2 March, it will recognise Kylie's career over five decades. She is also nominated for international artist of the year alongside Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo and Lana Del Rey. Kylie has also been confirmed to perform on the night and will join the already-announced Dua Lipa and Raye on stage.
Speaking about the announcement, Kylie said: "I am beyond thrilled to be honoured with the global icon award and to be joining a roll call of such incredible artists. The UK has always been a home from home so the Brits have a very special place in my heart. I have some amazing memories from the awards over the years and I can't wait to be back on the Brits stage."
The B

Europe - Robe Lighting enjoyed a busy and lively ISE 2024. New products on show included a selection from Robe’s award-winning IP rated iSeries - the iForte and iForte LTX, iPainte, iESprite, iBeam 350TM, iTetra2TM, iT12 ProfileTM and Robe also previewed its new iBolt - soon to be launched - plus a variant of its T32 Cyc, as well as the Footsie Slim, a compact version of this ingenious footlight solution.
The eye-catching and contemporary Robe booth featured areas for Robe’s other businesses - architectural brand Anolis, lighting control solutions specialist Artistic Licence and lighting console and media server manufacturer, Avolites. It attracted many visitors and was constantly busy throughout all four days, primarily functioning as a meeting and networking space.
Those wanting to see the highlighted products in more depth could walk or catch a shuttle bus a s

Europe - Optocore reports a successful ISE 2024 in Barcelona. Represented by directors and founders, Marc Brunke and Tine Helmle, the company announced the setting up of a new technical workshop (under the provisional title of Optocore Fibre Workshop) to an enthusiastic response from all partners. During each workshop, specially designed demo systems - unique to each location - will demonstrate how easily it is to operate advanced control situations using the Optocore protocol.
These events will take place right across the world - at partners’ demo rooms - and access will be free to all who register. Further details will be provided in due course.
Optocore presented this year’s Best Distributor Award (for outstanding sales) to Bill and Brandon Coons, of Optocore North America, based in Canada.
The company is also in the process of streamlining its distributi
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Case Study: Hans Zimmer Live

When award winning film composer Hans Zimmer brought his smash-hit tour Hans Zimmer Live to North America fall 2024, the show's audio team sought out to bring infrafrequency bass to the show to add new depth to the show's audio experience. The team chose Danley Sound Labs.

Germany - The FlexDistro rack has been developed to meet the frequently changing requirements in the event and touring sector.
Designed for quick and easy swapping of modules, the Indu-Electric FlexDistro can be equipped for the specific requirements of any project or production in an instant.
Each module has up to 24 channels, and each channel is protected with its own 30 mA RCBO (RCD/RCCB). The list of standard features includes a network-capable meter, USB port, mains indicator, switchable LED strips and utility outlets.

USA/Europe - Meyer Sound got off to a high octane start in 2024, with technology showcases at The NAMM Show and Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) conventions.
“2024 promises to be another significant year for Meyer Sound,” says senior vice-president John McMahon. “We’re building on unprecedented momentum that began with the success of the Panther large-format linear line array and the 2100‑LFC low-frequency control element. This success continues with further development of our award-winning Nebra software and the newly announced NADIA DSP platform, which is already redefining the world of active acoustics. NAMM and ISE proved perfect opportunities to highlight our latest advancements and forge meaningful connections in key markets as we move ahead.”
At NAMM, Panther and the 2100-LFC were on display alongside LINA very compact line array loudspeakers paired w

UK - Following the successful launch of the new TT+ Audio brand - and its flagship GTX passive line arrays - first in Italy, and more recently to the North American market at NAMM, it was the UK’s turn this month to put the fully integrated systems through their paces in front of UK rental companies, tour managers, sound engineers and system designers.
Two open days - at the Gateshead Glasshouse (formerly the Sage Gateshead) for northern professionals, followed by the Millennium Studios, Bedfordshire for those in the south paid dividends. While the prominent venue overlooking the Tyne drew in mainly sound engineers and tour managers, a number of high-profile rental companies set their compasses for the rural Beds location of Thurleigh, curious to see whether the reality of a system that has been designed from the ground up matched the hype.
According to Dean Davoile,

UK - North of England based leisure operators ARC Inspirations have developed three different brands, spread across 21 units.
One of these is BOX, a growing collection of high-octane, American style, city centre sports bars. The latest 650-capacity unit in Nottingham opened recently in a Grade II-listed former bank building, to reveal an RCF HDL 10-A active line array, installed by Pro Technical (UK).
This is providing the solution for the venue’s extensive schedule of entertainment and events, including Thursday night’s ‘Bandeoke’ sessions, with a live band providing the backing track for all-comers taking the open mic.
Commenting on the results, Arc Inspirations head of bar operations, Mark Austin, said: “Music and sound quality is utterly critical to a venue like this, as it sits at the heart of the guest experience that we create. This is a large,
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BikeFest Spain 2025 - Join the ride!

BikeFest Spain is set to return for its fourth consecutive year, inviting cyclists from across the industry to join the 360km ride towards ISE in Barcelona. From 31 January to 2 February 2025, riders will again rally in Valencia, cycling along the Mediterranean coast in support of industry causes.
For more information and to sign up, visit: www.joinbikefest.com

USA - A sensitive installation of Martin Audio’s Adorn ACP-55T pendant speakers has been undertaken at the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) West Building Gallery in Raleigh, NC, by RMB Audio.
According to RMB Audio owner, Cooper Cannady, 16 of the shallow pendant speakers were selected for their 150° conical coverage (117 Hz to 20 KHz ± 3dB, -10db @73 Hz) and off-white finish which matched the ceiling. These were approved by the architectural committee after careful review. The speakers are paired to cover the wall-to-wall open space.
Three areas of the gallery were zoned for audio isolation to control the social gathering adjacent to the art exhibitions. The ACP-55T pendants were hung at 15ft height across three selected zones in the gallery to mitigate sound leakage into other areas. “Well-articulated speech is the most critical parameter for the sound sys

Germany - The country’s biggest New Year’s Eve party, Willkommen 2024, took place in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, and was broadcast live for several hours by ZDF Television. The event featured spectacular live performances from leading German artists. An estimated 3.5m TV viewers watched the spectacle, hosted by well-known presenters Andrea Kiewel and Johannes B. Kerner, with around 65,000 spectators present at the event.
Such a prestigious occasion demanded exceptional audio, and full-service production specialist Ambion was engaged to deliver on-site sound production as well as set construction for the main stage.
Ambion supplied Coda Audio systems to meet what was a challenging brief. Whilst the sound systems were required to cover a very large area, they also had to take account of the sightlines of many TV cameras and be as discreet as possible. F

UK - Unusual Rigging has dealt with a fair few strange and, well, unusual, requests over the years. So when Gary Beestone was brought on board as technical director for Netflix and Sonia Friedman Productions’ Stranger Things: The First Shadow, Unusual was chosen for the production’s complex rigging.
“Bringing Stranger Things to the stage is incredibly ambitious and challenging,” explained Gary. “The Unusual team and I are old friends, having worked on some pretty major events and productions over the years. I knew they were really the only sensible choice for this show and so engaged them to design, engineer, fabricate and install all rigging including specialist custom rigging for the production.”
With the original story by the Duffer Brothers, Jack Thorne & Kate Trefry, this new production, based on the Netflix Series, takes audiences b

Norway - Absen, has partnered with Czech sports software company, Goal Sport, to provide high-performance screens at the home of professional Norwegian ice hockey team, Stavanger Oilers.
The Stavanger Oilers, a team in Norway's top ice hockey division, the Fjordkraftligaen, sought to upgrade the outdated centre cube display at the DNM Arena, its home stadium and training ground in Stavanger. The arena, with a capacity of 4,500 spectators for ice hockey matches, and 6,000 for other events, needed a modern, visually appealing display to enhance the fan experience.
Goal Sport, an international AV integrator with expertise in LED screen technology, was tasked with delivering a turnkey installation for the new central visual display. The company chose LED manufacturer Absen to supply the screens for the project. The Absen K3 Plus was specified for its lightweight and flat

USA - Broadcast live from Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena for the second consecutive year, the 66th Grammy Awards were delivered by an expert production team who trust Shure wireless technology to ensure extraordinary audio.
“Shure’s Axient Digital wireless technology delivers the high-quality sound and reliability that our team depends on for the Grammy Awards,” shared Michael Abbott, audio producer for the 66th Grammy Awards show. “Their wireless, along with the wide variety of Shure mic capsules, ensures the artists sound their best for the live broadcast.”
To flawlessly broadcast the audio of the event worldwide to 16.9m viewers, a stalwart group of industry veterans, including Michael, relied on 28 channels of the Emmy Award-winning Shure Axient Digital Wireless Microphone System and eight channels of Axient Analog. Artists trusted Shure PSM 1000 in-ear

India - Ragam Pro AVL has become the first rental company in India to have a DiGiCo Quantum 225 in its inventory.
From humble beginnings 50 years ago, Kodaly, Kerala-based Ragam Pro AVL has created a reputation for delivering first class events.
“Recently we have planned to upgrade our audio inventory to meet the growing demands of clients,” says Biju KV, Ragam Pro AVL owner. “Our first thought was to purchase one from DiGiCo’s SD series. But then they introduced the Quantum 338 and 225 to the Indian market via their distributor, Hi-Tech Audio & Image. Azhar Meem from AVL Marketing, Kerala, the dealer partner of Hi-Tech Audio & Image, told us about the powerful Quantum 225 that incorporates all the new design features of the Quantum 338 but in a compact, robust work surface and we knew it would be perfect for us.”
Rajan Gupta, CEO/founder of H

Portugal - Ayrton has announced the appointment of NAN Audiovisuais as a distributor for Portugal, with immediate effect.
Founded in 1995, NAN Audiovisuais has established itself as a leading distributor of professional lighting, sound and video equipment in the Portuguese market. NAN's commercial structure, back office and technical support teams work every day alongside lighting designers, rental companies, and technical teams from theatres, cultural spaces and multipurpose spaces, organising demo and training sessions, and providing the best technical support for a wide range of prestigious brands and manufacturers.
"We are excited to become a new Ayrton distributor for Portugal,” says Correia Neves, CEO of NAN Audiovisuais. “In recent years Ayrton is the moving lighting brand that has grown the most on a global level.
“We have been absolutely amazed by

UK - Panalux has announced the hiring of lighting-industry veteran Sandro Leone as the company’s long form sales director. In this role, Leone will focus on serving feature and series productions in London and Southeast England.
“Sandro brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in lighting rentals,” said Panalux managing director Mark Furssedonn. “Additionally, his previous roles in camera rental give him a keen perspective on how the equipment and service offerings of the larger Panavision group can further support our customers’ needs. We’re thrilled to welcome Sandro to the Panalux family.”
Leone previously served as head of sales at Procam Take 2 Films, and prior to that as head of film and drama at Filmscape Media. Those positions followed 17 years with Arri Lighting Rental.
“I feel lucky to be part of the incredible team here at Panalux,

Europe - Midas Consoles has launched Cobalt, a high-channel count, pocket-sized USB3 audio protocol converter.
“Cobalt is designed with sound engineers in mind. It is more than just a USB converter; it is a game-changing solution that combines power, portability, and connectivity for those seeking professional-grade recording without breaking the bank,” says Midas.
With Cobalt - which debuted at ISE 2024 - users can record and virtual soundcheck up to 192 channels all through a single Neutrik locking USB C connection, direct into PC or Mac. This not only streamlines the set-up but also allows audio professionals ‘to carry a powerhouse of functionality right in their pockets’.
The built-in sample rate converters further elevate Cobalt's capabilities, enabling operation at either 48kHz or 96kHz without compromising the channel count. This flexibility is cru

UK - Tring Park School for the Performing Arts is an independent, co-educational day and boarding school in Hertfordshire, UK. As a specialist provider of vocational training in the performing arts, the school offers courses that include dance, acting, commercial music and musical theatre, as well a full academic syllabus from Preparatory to A-Level.
It is one of only 21 schools selected to allocate government-funded Dance and Drama Awards, a scholarship scheme designed to subsidise the cost of professional dance and drama training for the most talented students at leading institutions. Since 1945, the school has been located in Tring Park Mansion, originally designed by Sir Christopher Wren and formerly occupied by the Rothschild family.
Audio technology plays a vital role in many areas of the school’s curriculum, particularly where its vocational courses are conce

USA - Brentwood Baptist Church was officially constituted on Easter Sunday 1969 in the Nashville suburb of Brentwood, Tennessee. In the past half a century, it has grown to nine campuses around the region and has consistently averaged over 5,000 worshipers in weekly on-campus attendance, along with an estimated 4,000 additional online viewers.
The current main campus’ church was built in 2002 and had a few updates along the way, but last May it completed a complete refresh of the sanctuary’s audio, video, and lighting systems, in concert with leading AVL systems integrator Diversified. And the finishing touch on the updated audio infrastructure is a new KLANG:konductor, the most powerful and versatile immersive in-ear mixing processor ever.
“We had a few periodic updates to the systems over the years, such as going from analogue to digital audio and upgrading ou

UK - Ed Warren’s lighting design for The Lottery Winners’ recent homecoming show at the 02 Apollo Manchester featured a strong floral element.
Warren had two rows of daisy set pieces arranged across the stage. Each had at its centre a Chauvet Professional Strike 1, single source 230W warm white LED blinder, ready to rock the house and transform the stage with intense strobes, audience lighting and immersive washes.
“The concept of the flowers came about from a creative meeting with the band,” said Warren. “They mentioned their logo/branding is daisies, so I had the idea of having some daisy set pieces built. The plan was that we would mount lights in the centre disc of the flowers. The Strike 1s seemed like the perfect solution since they provided natural looking light and a killer strobe. The daisy set pieces were custom made to suit a Strike 1 fixture. The

Finland - The celebrated LUX Helsinki light festival took place at venues across the Finnish capital during January, with a highlight being the specially created projection mapped visual display onto the intricate façade of the National Gallery Ateneum.
The looping, five-hour graphic animations formed a large, 8,000px-wide canvas and were projected by six Barco UDX 4K32 projectors and driven by Green Hippo Hippotizer Montane+ RTX and Karst+ Media Servers.
The festival was staged by Events Helsinki, which brought in Capital AV to deliver technical production and visual consultancy for the Ateneum projections. In temperatures plummeting to minus 20 Celsius, the Capital AV team set up a warm trailer next to FOH position and the three projector towers. The animation work was designed by Katri Tikkanen and commissioned to celebrate the 60th anniversary of famous Finnish c

Italy - Prolights Mosaico series illuminated the main facade of the Naval Academy of Livorno with the colours of the Italian flag. Spazi Sonori Live, the company responsible for implementing the project, faced numerous technical challenges to complete this emblematic initiative, showcasing the versatility and effectiveness of Prolights products.
The request was to permanently illuminate a 25x25m facade with LED lights in the green, white, and red colours of the Italian flag while adhering to strict technical and environmental constraints, including resistance to marine conditions and the need for angular projections without compromising uniform coverage.
After careful evaluation, Spazi Sonori Live chose the Prolights Mosaico series. They used two Mosaico L projectors for the green and white colours and one Mosaico XL projector for the red colour, harnessing their pre

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